Mac +/- for Macs & Mac users, plus or minus, more or less.

I've got a Blackberry 8830 through work, so I can become the expert on Blackberry for the university.

Never used one before. Never had any smart phone before, though I used a Palm for years, and a Newton before that.

I really, really hate this phone. If I hadn't purchased an iPod Touch a few weeks before getting the work phone, I'd probably only dislike it. But I have seen the Promised Land of interfaces, and Rim could not find it with a map.

Documentation is very scarce in the box. I am a tech guy, I can spend time learning it, because it is my job to do so. But it has left me completely convinced that the typical mode of set up for this device is for the user to hand it to his or her IT person and say "Make this work."

Mark Space's Missing Sync syncing is unreliable and very very slow. And it is insulting that we have to buy software to make it work at all--the free from Rim pocketmac sw was a complete failure.

Reading anything on the tiny, overly busy screen is a pain.

It comes pre-configured with an (in)convenience button that goes off randomly, leaving my pants repeating "Say a command!" at random times.

Oh, and it's broken now, with a scroll button that only goes up, left and right. No, I didn't drop it or spill anything on it. Hopefully I can get that fixed at Alltel tonight.

Blech.

Technorati Tags: Alltel, Tech, UVa

New to the Mac? Just easily confused, or want to learn more by watching TV?

Here you go!

Technorati Tags: Macintosh, Tech

These are some of my very favorite links, found through years of refined web browsing.

Mac Stuff

• MacNN
• VersionTracker X
• dealmac
• MacSurfer
• The Cult of Mac Blog
• MacFixIt

Tech Coolness

• hack a day
• Instructables: step-by-step collaboration
• Gizmodo
• CommonBits multimedia
• popurls.com | popular urls to the latest web buzz
• The Best Media in Life is Free

General Coolness

Malware authors aren't dumb--they are evil, but not stupid.

They test their wares just as legit programmers do.

Here's the result.

Technorati Tags: Macintosh, Tech

What do Mac OS X version 10.4.6 and Tom Delay have in common?

They're both out.

(Thanks Will.)

Technorati Tags: Macintosh, funny

Here's another, vivid example of why Macs rock.

Just this past summer, my stepmother couldn't do anything beyond web and webmail on her generic Linux PC (which used to have windoze on it, until it became too infected to use. Her local computer "expert" put Linux on it, replacing Windows, so instead of an unreliable virus prone mess of a computer, she had a reliable, confusing, unfriendly one.)
Now she's emailing me digital pictures moments after I ask her for one.

On her Mac.

Did you read her previous comment about her new mac?

Here's another, earlier post about getting ready to switch Jean.

Allow me to recoup. Here's the message I just got from her today:

"Hi! I just took this picture of your Dad"

Here's the message I got from her before I gave her my old, screen broken iBook:

Oh Mike.......once again I am so frustrated with this thing! I can't believe it is all me. I have really tried to find a different "teacher" but I have been unable to. Therefore: I have decided it must be ME. Maybe it is me and maybe I am just not capable. When you mentioned a new computer, I thought..."oh no....I will just fail again." Whatever, I would sure like to try. It is so wonderful of you to offer this opportunity!! Bell South does not recognize Linux for technical support, but they do recognize Macintosh. Maybe you will go to the book store with me and help me find a book of instructions for dummies, idiots, whatever. This is so great and I appreciate it...I truly do. Forget the clothes line, and help me with this.

What a difference. All because she has a mac, which just works.

Does your computer cause you constant trouble? Here's the answer.

As usual, 43 folders has some new, excellent material. Here's their article on Writing Sensible Email Messages.

It's still in beta, but Mail Appetizer, the handiest extension to Apple's Mail I've seen is now Tiger Compatible.

This seems like a frivolous addition to your mac til you use it for a few days, then you'll really start to rely on it.

Sure, it's still a beta release, but be brave.

UPDATE: I've been using Mail.Appetizer for a week now, and haven't noticed any problems that I can say came from this extension. I have had one Mail crash, but no way to know if the plug in did that. So it seems to be a good beta!

Friends have an original bondi iMac they bought new. It is starting to have some problems with its power switch, so they're getting a new iMac G5 this weekend and I'm going to help them move their stuff (from OS 8.6!) and get the new machine zooming.

I'll probably edit this article several times as I go, since I'm using it to remind myself of the things that need to be installed on it

To Install

Quicksilver (#1 with a bullet!)
NeoOffice J though the computer may come with AppleWorks, which they know well.
staticcling client (and a static cling account, of course.)
Firefox (as a backup browser for stupid, non-standard sites.)
MacJournal 2.6 (the last free version.)
Stuffit lite
Cage Fighter
Divx plugin for Quicktime
maybe myPhoto or some other iPhoto sharing solution.
AlbumArt Widget
Site UP widget
Quick Access menu plug in
IEatBrainz
Fugu

To Configure:

So, as I mentioned in this post, one of the second hand powerbooks went to Apple for repair of the lower case, which had started to separate. Hooray for AppleCare.

After coming back once with the top lid repaired, Cavalier sent it back to get what was really wrong fixed.

Now, this PowerBook has what appears to be an entire new, tight case. It looks brand new. And it feels that way too. The hinges are smooth, the latch is tight, everything feels good. Plus, Apple replaced the hard drive, which wasn't bad as far as I knew, but apparently their diagnostics said it had a problem.